Faye Bate didn’t take the straight road into medicine. She was rejected the first time she applied to medical school. But instead of giving up, she tried again. She studied harder, pushed through, and earned her place. That moment shaped everything that followed.

While still a student, Faye began sharing her journey online. What started as revision tips and honest chats from her bedroom grew into a community of more than 650,000 people. They came for the study advice, but stayed for her openness: about burnout, about failure, about what it really means to become a doctor in today’s world.

Now working in the NHS, Faye is especially drawn to women’s health. Her time volunteering in women’s clinics in Zambia showed her how often women’s questions go unanswered. She saw clearly what she had already felt for a long time, that the system doesn’t listen to women the way it should. This led her to pursue a Master’s in Women’s Health at University College London, where she is focusing her work on closing the gap in research and care.

Faye is also the founder of HERd*, a space created for women who are tired of feeling dismissed. HERd* is a growing community where real conversations are happening, about periods, pain, fertility, mental health, and everything in between. It is a place for women to be heard, to learn, and to know they are not alone.

Faye believes that medicine should feel human. She believes that better care begins with better listening. And she is working every day, in real life and online to make that happen.